Sign



A. HOLDER July 2, 1929.

SIGN

Filed Dec. 27, 1927 Patented July 2, 1929.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIGN.

Application filed December 27, 1927. Serial No. 242,874.

My invention relates to signs of the type embodied in my Patent No. 1,57 1,652, issued Feb. 23, 1926, having removable sign characters and a holder for suspending and dis playing the individual sign characters in a desirable relation to each other to produce a readable sign.

It is a purpose of my present invention to provide a sign of the type above specified, characterized by a holder for the sign characters which is constructed to removably secure the sign characters in a fixed relation to each other and to support and maintain a backing strip of fabric or any other flexible material in the rear of the sign characters to form a background for the latter and which,

in the complete sign, produces one of beauty and unusual attractiveness.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a sign. in which the backing strip is readily removable to permit the use of back ing strips of any desired color or colors, in order to harmonize with the color or colors of the sign characters to the end of producing a sign having astrong appeal to the esthetic sense.

A further purpose of my invention is the provision of a sign having brackets by which the sign as a. unit can be suspended from a support or reposed directly on a support, thus facilitating display 01 thesign under diiferent conditions.

I will describe only one form of sign embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing in perspective one form of sign embodying my invention with a portionthereof broken away;

Fig. 2 is a fragn'ientary perspective view of the sign shownin Fig. 1 with the parts thereof in what may be termed released position, to permit the application or removal of the sign characters and backing strip to or from the holder;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on the lines *33 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a. fragmentary perspective view of the sign as it appears from the rear side thereof;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the sign characters; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a holder similar in construction to the holder embodied in my patent hereinbefore referred to, in that it includes a sign character supporting section generally indicated at A, and a clamping section B movable on the supporting section to clamp the sign characters in fixed position at the front side of the holder. The supporting section consists of an elongated plate of metal or other suitable material which is of rectangular outline and bent upwardly at its lower edge to provide an upstanding lip or flange 16 spaced from the plate 15 for the purpose of accommodating project-ions on the sign characters to hold the lower ends of the characters with in the holder. Along its upper edge the plate 15 is formed with teeth 17 for the purpose of coacting with teeth 18 on the sign characters indicated at S. As illustrated to advantage in Fig. 7, each sign character S is provided at its upper end with a hanger 19 bent in the form of a U so as to be hooked over the tooth edge of the plate 15 inthe manner illustratedand so that the tooth 18 will be interposed between any two adjacentteeth 17, thus locking the sign character against edgewise displacement within the holder.

To secure the sign character against lateral displacement, that is, displacement forwardly and away from the front side of the holder, the lower end of each sign character is provided with one or more projections 20 which are disposed beneath the flange or lip 16 so as to be restrained from outward movement by the lip or flange. The manner in which these projections coact with the flange is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. i To prevent upward vertical movement of the sign character, the clamping section B is provided and operatively connected to the supporting section A by the provision of reversely bent tongues 21 formed on the back of the plate 1.5 and extending into diagonal slots 22 in the clamping section B, this connection permitting the clamping section to occupy the released position shown in Fig. 2 or the clamped position shown in Figs. 1 and 5. In the clamped position a flange 28 on the clamping section embraces the hanger portion 19 of the sign characters and thus secures such portion against upward displacement, and, consequently, when the projections 20 are inserted beneath the flange 16 it'will be clear that the flanges 16 and 23 coact to secure the sign characters against accidental displacement from the holder and in fixed spaced relation to each other so that they may be maintained inany desired relation to produce any desired read? ing matter.

To enhance the esthetic appearance of the sign, I provide a backing strip T formed of any suitable flexible material of any desired color such as, for example, velvet which maybe red where thelsign characters are white, It will, of course, be understood that any desired color combinations of the sign characters and backing strip can be employed, the objectbeing to produce a sign in which "the characters are vividly dlsplayed upon a harmoniously colored backgrounth This backing strip is disposed at the rear of the sign characters and so as to cover the front si (it of the plate with its longitudinal edges covered by the flanges 16 and 23. It iscapabl'e of being held and in fully extended position-within the holder so as to prevent wrinkling or gathering thereof and thus provide vt'ijsmoo'th background for the characters 'by th'e, provision of clamping members K movably mounted on the ends of the supporting section to occupy clamping and non-clamping posit ons with respect to the ends of the backing strip.

As illustrated to, advantage in Figs. 2, 4, and 5, eachclamping member K comprises a'plate 24 formed with a'pair of slots 25 spaced and horizontally disposed to receive reversely bent; tongues 26 formed on and projecting from the rear side of the plate 15'. These pins or tongues 26 coact with the slots 25 and provide pin and slot connections between the supporting section and clamping member to allow the clamping member to be moved horizontally to either of the two aforementioned extreme 7 positions. The clamping'member is provided with a vertical slot 27 through which is extended the corresponding endl'of the backing strip T in the manner illustratedin Fig. 2 and while the clamping member is in. the non-clamping position shown. Once the backing strip is applied as described, the clamping member can be forced inwardly to the clamping position shown in Fig. 4; in which a hook-shaped flange 28 on the vertical edgeof the plate 24 is moved. to clamp thebackingstrip between the flange and the adjacent vertical edge of the plate 15, thereby securing the backing strip against movement in the clamping member. In actual practice first one clamping member K is operated in the manner described, and then the other, the backing strip being pulled taut, however, before the last clamping member is moved into clamping position so that the backing strip will be maintained'fulliy'r extended at the front side of the holder. In this manner the backing strip forms an ornamental and pleasing background for the sign characters. To release the backing strip when it is desired to sub stitute a strip of different color or design, it is only necessary to move the clamping members K to non-clamping position when the backing strip can be readily withdrawn from the members.

Signs of this character are frequently used in store windows where space is at a prcmlum and, consequently, it is difficult to support the sign in the desired position within the window. In some instances it is convenient to place the sign directly upon the floor ol the window while in other cases the sign must be suspended above the lloor. To take care of these conditions I provide in my sign a pair of brackets which are adjustable to occupy either of two extreme positions in one of which the sign, as a unit, can be suspended from hooks or other suitable means, and in the other extreme position the brackets serve to support the sign in upright position upon the floor of the window. Each bracket comprises a fixed section 29 secured to the rear side of the plate 15 at a point between the plate and the clamping section B. A portion 29 of the bracket section extends bcneath the lower edge of the clamping section and this portion is otl'set at an angle so as to extend rear 'ardly from the back of the sign. By means of a rivet 30 an offset end 31 of themovable section of the bracket is pivoted on the offset portion 2S) so that the movable sect-ion can be swung to occupy the downwardly inclined position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 or the upright position shown in solid lines in the same figure. In the first-mentioned position of thdmovable section it coacts with the corresponding section of the other bracket to support tlie sign in upright posit-ion on a horizontal support, the movable sections extending downwardly and rearwardly from the back side of the sign as illustrated. In the vertical position of the movable section they lie contiguous to the clamping section B with their free ends projecting above the upper edge of the sign and provided with openings into which hookcd members such as those shown in dash lines can be extended and thus suspend the sign in upright position. The free ends of the movable sections are oli'set as shown so that when the movable sections are in the dotted line positions they will operate to effectively support the sign as will be understood. It is important to note that in the upright position of the movable sections they are compactly related to the sign to facilitate packing and shipping.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of sign embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the Sll position in which it operates to clamp the hanger portions of the sign characters to the upper edge of the supporting section.

2. A sign as embi'idied in claim 1 wherein a backing strip is interposed between the sign characters and supporting section to form a background for the sign characters, and members adjustable on the ends of the supporting section and through which the ends of the backing strip are extended and clamped to secure the strip in extended position on the supporting section.

A sign as embodied in claim 1 wherein the backing strip interposed between the sign characters and supporting section to :l'oi'm a background for the sign characters, and members having pin and slot connections with the supporting section to occupy either of two extreme positions, said members being formed with slots through which the ends of the backing strip are extended whereby when the members are moved to one extreme position or the other the backing strip will be clamped or released and when clamped held in extended position on the supporting section.

4-. A sign as embodied in claim 1 wherein the backing strip is interposed between the sign characters and supporting section to form a background for the sign characters, and members movable on the supportin sec tion to occupy either of two extreme posi tions, said members being formed with slots through which the ends of the backing strip are extended whereby when the members are moved to one extreme position or the other the backing strip will be clampedor released and when clamped held in extended position on the supporting section.

5. A sign comprising sign characters a support for the sign characters, a backing strip interposed between the sign characters and the support to form a background :lor the sign characters, and members zuljustable on the support and through which the ends of the backing strip are extended and clamped to secure the strip in extended position on the support.

(3. A sign comprising a holder of sections relatively movable to releasably secure sign characters in fixed position within the holder, a backing strip within the holder and at the rear of the sign characters to form a background therefor, and members adjustable on one of the sections to engage, pull, and clamp the ends of the backing strip to releasa-bly secure the latter in extended position on the holder.

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, and State of California this 2d day oi December, A. D. 1927.

ALBERT HOLDER. 

